There and back again.

Well, since I last posted here I have journeyed back home to New Braunfels for a lovely Christmas and returned to Chicago where it still looks and feels just like Christmas.

It was so nice to be in Texas again.  I had only been away for three months, but it still felt like returning after a long absence.  We had a very low-key, family-full holiday and I got to spend oodles of time with some of my most favorite people and most wonderful friends (Kate, Janey, Julian, Miranda, Ben, Lauren, Ariana and Andrew I miss you already).  I also go to take a quick trip with Ben up to Dallas to visit our cousins, Thomas and Sarah, who are expecting their first baby any day now! My other highlight was getting to be with my church family again.  That was one of the things I noticed myself most missing when I moved up here and it was so lovely to be with them again.

However, now I'm back.  But there is really nothing sad there; I'm thrilled to be re-starting my time here.  It's nice to have three months under my belt and enough know-how to get places and do things by myself.  I still do as much as I can with Blythe and Eric as they are the reason I moved here and are really great people; but I can manage alone if need be.  For some reason my computer is no longer working with the wireless at the condo which is a bummer (I'm at Starbucks now-- less of a bummer, however a stinky someone passed by and their scent is lingering) but this may be what is necessary for me to be sure to go to bed at a reasonable hour every night.  I also got a gym membership today (AND worked out) and will be meeting with someone tomorrow afternoon about getting a second job in the city.  I'm kind of on a roll.

Along with working out, sleeping and making sure all of my time is full-- I've got some continuing soul searching going on.  I thought all of that was going to get done in 2011, but it turns out it may just take more than a year.  I threw around a few ideas with my mom over the break (some sensible, some not so much) and had some conversations (with and without tears) with many people as I look forward and try to see what step I should take next.  There is a lot to consider and plenty of options out there.  More than anything though, I know that I have just made this leap and now that I have my feet on the ground here I intend to enjoy the time that I have and just hope that God makes my next leap clear when the time comes.

Thank you to everyone who keeps up with the ramblings I post.  Please let me know if you're ever in the Chicago area! I'd love to see you. You have no idea. :)

Thankful.

Hey friends,
Sorry for my absence.  The last week has been full of changes and I thought I'd let most of them happen before documenting.

First off, thank you so much to everyone who has been texting, emailing, snail mailing, calling and facebooking me with encouragement and love since I moved.  When I got here I felt like a piece of my hearts puzzle was put back into place; but every day I am more and more aware of how many pieces I left behind.  Thank you for being with me in the only ways you can be for now.  You all have blessed me so.

So, time for some updates.  Some of you know this already, though it's been mostly hush hush. (It may sound that I'm about to say I'm pregnant... I'm not) I believe though that I can finally and officially say that I have a job!! I can also say that I have a place to live! But this is really only one announcement because those two things are one in the same...

I told you last time that I interviewed with a great family. Well, I am now living with them! I moved in (half of my stuff) on Monday and have been working all week.  I am going back to my aunt and uncle's place on Saturday to get the rest of my things and then head on back to my city home.  This is yet another temporary place; I do still intend to get my own place; but I can live here for some months while I save money and find a good fit.  This paragraph is just a pile of blessings.  God has been guiding me and leading me even when I have forgotten to ask Him; even when I've forgotten to thank Him.

So that's it! I'm living in Chicago, I'm working as a nanny for two little boys and in my spare time I go to zombie apocalypses and underground bars putting on Rocky Horror performances. Ah, city life. :)

I am now one step closer to being ready for you to come visit me!!!

Catching Up

It's before midnight and I'm already in bed AND it's raining.  I am in a place of euphoria right now.

This last weekend I went back out to the city.  Friday night Blythe and Eric had a house warming party at their apartment and it was so much fun.  It was a very small group or intelligent and interesting people.  We discussed music and television and movies and comic books and pathetic Jews and over-cautious mothers and music mixing programs and parenting and kittens.  Score.  On Saturday I had an interview and after missing my stop, (which was never announced) getting off the southbound bus, getting on the northbound bus and walking, I finally made it there.  It was a good interview, but I wasn't too excited about the potential of this particular job.  Finding a nanny job is very different from other jobs; there needs to be a certain amount of compatibility between the nanny and the family or it simply will not work.  Anyway, I was grateful for the interview.  The rest of Saturday was spent shopping for plants with Eric, Blythe and her brother Alec, and then later Blythe and I went downtown to shop for our elaborate day-before-Halloween plans next weekend; stay tuned for that story/those pictures.

Saturday evening I got a call from another family I had applied with and we set up an interview for Sunday afternoon.  After attending a different church, Good News Bible Church (which was really lovely- I intend to go back there again), I headed north for this interview. It was immediately different from the previous interview.  I loved the family, the area, the kids and all those things seemed to like me too.  I'm headed back to see them and do a "trial run" of sorts on Thursday.  If you would, be in prayer for this opportunity.  If this is where God wants me it'd be so great; and if not, well I'll get right back to looking. :)

My lovely Uncle Rob and Aunt Nancy have arrived back here in Downer's Grove and will be around for a couple of days.  It's so lovely having more family around...

...and now all I need is my friends!

I love you guys.  My friends far away- you are all on my heart every day.

Sore feet, cold hands... children's books!

I'm writing this tonight while the memory of the last couple hours is fresh.  I want to make sure you get the most dramatic adjectives.

I went back to the city this weekend.  After a week out here in Downers Grove, it was hard to leave my beautiful bed and the spacious house-- but it is always a joy to spend any time with Blythe.  I arrived on the train Friday evening to find no Blythe, however.  She told me that she would meet me at the Western stop.  However, we were unaware that there were two Westerns.  I was dropped off significantly further south than we had anticipated and also significantly further south than I (or anyone) should be alone after daylight.  So, that started things out interestingly to say the least.  Luckily I was able to find a street marker and Blythe tapped into her inner Wonder Woman and biked an extensive distance to find me.  We then got on the bus, forfeited our plans to go out with some friends and went back to her apartment where we made pizza and chocolate mug cakes; using a recipe that needs severe alterations.  Overall, we salvaged the evening.

Saturday was a beautiful day but we spent most of it in doors.  Blythe worked on a paper, I read, and then we walked down to the grocery store to get supplies for the most delicious chip dip ever.  That night we searched Netflix for a movie we hadn't seen and both landed on Memento.  I'd wanted to see it for so long; and wow.  It was trippy.  So, so good; really bizarre.  Also, part of me just wants to have an affair with Christopher Nolan; the really, really, really smart part of me; it's in there.

This morning I went to a church I had read about just to see how it was.  Afterwards Blythe, Eric and I went down to the farmers market, window shopped, drank coffee... had an overall lovely city day.  We went to a children's toy and book store.  I could have been happy there for days.  It made me dangerously desirous for a child.  Please pray that I get a nanny position soon. :)

It was the kind of day that couldn't be spoiled by anything.......

I missed my train due to a stupid mistake (that is blamed on the part of my brain that couldn't even speak to Christopher Nolan) and as it is the weekend the trains going out to Downers Grove only run every two hours.  Thanks to Blythe I coordinated getting on the northbound train to Union Station so I wasn't stuck waiting at Western, and was able to sit indoors for the duration of the two hour wait.  I know that this was an easy mistake to make and as I am incredibly new at all of this it shouldn't make me feel that bad; so I'm instead trying to just be grateful that I am now back at my current temporary residence, showered and going to bed.

As I was waiting for the train I couldn't help but think how great it would be to have a friend with me. Like Janey. Or Kate. Or Ben, Miranda, Julian, Meghann, Ariana, Lauren, Harrison, Becca, Jen or Andrew. Or my mom or dad. Or any of my siblings. Or Georgy Porgy!

Thinking about this made me feel really blessed though.  I know what gifts you all are.  I can't wait to see you again.  Truly.

We were unsure, but then, Liza Minnelli!

The last few days have not really been conducive to settling into my new home; but they’ve certainly been enjoyable.  And busy.

I arrived in Chicago on Friday night.  The flight here was completely bizarre.  I’ve never been on a plane with such a talkative group of people.  I had my headphones on and was attempting to read and could still here some of the conversations around me; in particular two girls behind me disclosing quite personal information to each other (as well as anyone in ear shot).  The guy next to me was trying to sleep, and succeeded for a little while, until he bolted up, looked at me exasperated and said, “My God, I could write a book about the girls behind us. They won’t shut up!”  He seemed pretty hostile for a minute but then he started talking to the girls and the conversation then moved up to our row.  A man behind me started buying drinks for everyone with some points he had and that made things even more interesting.  Across the aisle a lady got pleasantly tipsy and started asking everyone how old she looked.  When the man she was sitting next to and flirting with stupidly guessed 57 (which honestly, could have been exactly right) I thought she was going to murder him.  The man next to me was smarter and said 21.  After things calmed down me and my row discussed different places we’ve been, airports we hated and the ways that we organize our email inboxes.  We were a really neat bunch. J

Blythe met me at baggage claim and there were immediate tears.  You guys know me; this isn’t unexpected.  Blythe however is less inclined to express herself through tears.  It was good to have someone to cry with though.  And it wouldn’t be the last time.

After a train ride we had a bit of a walk that, were it just us, would have been fine.  However my luggage made the journey more interesting and more painful.  After dropping, dragging, flipping, falling and a plethora of other alliterations, we were about at the end of our rope and hadn’t quite made it to Blythe and Eric’s apartment.  Right at that moment though, Eric came walking towards us.  Our hero!  He went down the street to the store before we went home so Blythe and I had a few minutes to breath.  Enter Bekah breakdown number one.  It was actually not really a breakdown, but as it was literally the first time I had stopped since San Antonio and could think about what I had just done, I had a quick freak out moment.  It passed. We went home. I slept.

Saturday and Sunday I stayed with Blythe and Eric.  Blythe and I were able to spend time shopping and walking and cooking and basically getting used to hearing each other’s voices and not being on the phone.  We wandered into a vintage store on Saturday and walked around pulling out some gorgeous, and some not-so-gorgeous garments, making comments as we went.  I pulled out a particularly gaudy gown and without missing a beat Blythe and I looked at each other and said, “Liza Minnelli.”  It was perfect and pretty much a clear sign that we are meant t live in the same place; even for just a year.  It’s really lovely being with someone who knows you and you them, so completely.

Yesterday My Aunt Marianne and Uncle Aaron fetched me and I am now at my new, temporary, short-term/long-term residence in Downers Grove.  They have a beautiful and HUGE house, and a big white van—I feel pretty at home here already.  It is definitely not going to be easy to leave here and move into a tiny apartment, but it’s lovely to know I’ll be able to come here and see family with little trouble.  I am truly, truly blessed.

Thank you if you read this far; I won’t normally go this long.  To my Texas friends, I miss you all so much already.  In about a week I’ll start posting temperatures so you can all make fun of me.  Winter is just around the corner!

Here I go again....

Hey guys!
Well, it started with "Bekah in the Philippines", then "Bekah in Australia", then "Bekah on the Road"...

I now give you: Bekah in Chicago!

That's right- I did it! I moved to Chicago. Now to figure out what I'm going to do next. 0_0

It's quite late so this entry is brief, but I wanted to just get this started.  For those of you who have followed all of my adventures, welcome back (and thank you!); to the new comers, welcome.  I promise I don't ramble much.  This blog is really only still going because a few people (whom I love) asked me to keep up with it.  So stay tuned for occasional stories, pithy remarks and some pictures of my next chapter in Chicago.

Love you all. Really, I do!

Catching you up

Sorry for the absense, all.  Our campground was internet free and service free so I was pretty much out of communication last week.  I don't have pictures ready to add just yet, but I'll post them soon; for now, here is a brief update:

The reunion was fantastic! I know that I come from the greatest family in the world.  My grandparents started a legacy that I am so proud to be a part of.  We had a wonderful time of fellowsip, worship and faily trivia everyday that turned out to be a favorite time for everyone.  Our camp was right off of Rockaway Beach nearTwin Rocks.  The beach was beautiful during the day and at night.  Joshua and I walked there everyday and tried to play near, yet stay out of the FREEZING water.  The weather all week was very cool (at least compared to Texas), rarely getting above 60.  It was really wonderful having nearly our entire family (11 aunts, 12 uncles, 59 grandkids (plus several spouses) and 14 great-grandkids) together and being able to just pick up where we left off. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. A favorite moment for me was an epic volleyball game on the last day. Ben and I joined several of our cousins (who just happened to be the ones we know the most and spent much of our childhood with) and it played hard until we couldn't see anymore.  It was just great.

We had to leave super early on Thursday on account of Sarah and Jono needing to catch a morning flight home and Joseph needing to catch a noon flight to Florida.  Once the rest of us finally got on the road we made it to and stayed in Ontario, OR.  The next day we drove through Idaho and saw Shoeshone Falls which were really spectacular. That night we stayed in Ogden, UT.  Yesterday we drove the rest of the way through Utah and stopped in Salt Lake to tour the Morman Tabernacle.  Dozens of weddings taking place and more white shirts and ties than you've ever seen.  It was beautiful, but so twisted.  Anyway, we made it, I believe, near Denver, CO where we stayed last night.  I am ready to be home.

God is incredible. Good night.